Sport jumping apparatus



Nov. 11 1930. A. F. GODE-IFROY 1,731,506

SPORT J'UMPING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1950 5y WW p r Patented Nov. 11, 1930 i "UNIT STATES,

PATENT OFFICE A LEXANDBE F. GODEFBOY, OF MEXICO, MEXICO sronr JUMPING APPARATUS Application fileu January 6pl93o, Serial No. 418 ,5 77, and in Mexico September 3, 1929.

" .T his invention relates to an apparatus that is intended to be used by a person suspended from a balloon for causing or assisting the balloonto rise when the balloon comes into 5 close proximity to the ground or a body of Water or anyother surface or object over which the balloon passenger or user of the apparatus desires to travel.

' The object ofytheinvention is to provide an apparatus of the general type mentioned,

that is easy to operate and which is of such design that it can be used successfully in connection with an inflated balloon for enabling a person to travel'over ground or water, by

- a combinedjiimping and floating operation,

withoutliability of being subjected to injury or discomfiture. The apparatus can be constructed in various ways,fwithout departing from the spirit of my invention,but it will usually consistof a long handle, rod or staff adapted to be grasped at itsupper end by'a person sitting in a balloon basket or on a seat suspended from a small'balloon inflated with sufficient gas to substantially balance the weight of the occupant or passenger, and a contact device at the lower end of the handle, which isof such a character or nature that when it is forced "against the ground or against the surface of a body of water, or,

39 infa'ct, against any object,'by a downward thrust exerted on the'handle, the resultant upward impulse produced by such action will assist the balloon to rise, and thus carry the passenger upwardly away from the surface or other object against which thecontact device at the lowerend of the handle was thrust, The apparatus is preferably equipped with a parachute arranged so that when the handle is moving downwardly said parachute will tend toresist such downward movement, andthus counteract the tendency of the balloon to drop or descend, and said apparatus is also preferably equipped with a buoyant element that forms a bearing surface at the lower end of the handlewhich will not sink orbe submerged when the appato Figure 1 is a perspective View, illustrating my improved sport jumping apparatus and the methodof using same. a

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of said apparatus, showing the parachute removed; and Figure 3 illustrates the complete apparatus.

v i In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates a small balloon inflated with suflicient gas to substantially balance the weight ofa person 00 sustained by a basket or seat B thatis suspended from the balloon by a plurality of strands a of any suitable material. My invention consists of an apparatus that is adapted to be used by the passenger of the balloon to assist or cause the balloon to rise whenever theballoon drops to a level low enough to permitsaid apparatus to be thrust downwardly against a surface or objectlocated directly beneath the passenger. a

Said apparatus consists of a handle or staff 1 whose upper end is adapted to be grasped by one hand of a balloon passenger, as shownin Figure 1, and a contact device 75 at the lower end of said handle whichpro vides a bearing surface for the handle of relatively great area. Said contact device preferably consists of a horizontally-disposed disk or wheel joined by upwardly converging 3 bars or braces to the lower end of-the handle 1. In the form of my invention herein illustrated thebearing surface of the contact device is formed by a horizontally-disposed wheel 2, provided with wire spokes 3, and the rim of said wheel is joined by a plurality of upwardly inclined converging bars or braces 4 that are attached to the handle 1, as shown in Figure 2. If desired, said bearing surface may be provided with prongs 5 or any other suitable means, which will prevent ortend to prevent the contact device of theapparatus from slipping on the sur face against which it is thrust. I

In order that the apparatus may be used successfully as a thrust device to assist the balloon to rise when the balloon descends over a body of water, a buoyant element 6, preferably a rubber ball, is arranged at the lower end of the handle 1. In theapparatus or held in operative relationship with the handle l by the'cage or skeleton-like structureformed by the disk'or wheel :2 and con verging'bars i that join the-same to the han T dle, said bars 4' being so proportioned that -thejball 6 is capableof a certain degree of a combined jumping and floatinga'ction, due

movement in its confining rcage. By con structing the apparatus in this manner it can be usedas successtullyvon water as on a balloon to travel over a body of water by to the 'factthat the ball'6 has sufficient buoyancy Wnen-*-broag116 "in contact with" a body of water toresist downward movement of the handle 1, andthuscau se the downward thrust which-the :user exerts on saidhandle to be applied in a direction to causethefballoonto riser. H 1 I I a As previously statech the balloon A'is inflated with sufficient gas to substantially balance the weight of thepassenger, which bal;

ance can be obtained in numerous ways, as, for example, by sand ballast. After the weight or the passenger has been properly balanced, "the slightest diminution in the weight of-lthe load, suspended from the ba l icon. will cause the'balloon to rise and float t through theair a considerable distance before it again descends or approachesfthe earth. In'fact, the release or d scharge, from n the balloon basket of a fewv spoonfuls: of sand orother ballastwill cause the balloon to rise. In r order' toovercome the necessity of 4 dis-.

charging ballasteach time the balloon comes 7 tends tovarre stor resist the downward move}.

ment otthehandlagind thus produce an effect similar to that which can be obtained by discharging va small quantity of ballast from the balloon basket or supporton which means that; tends, to resist 'the downward movement of the handle 1 before the contact thepassenger rests, "Inthe form: of my invention herein illustrated the parachute 7' is substantially cone-shaped, as shown in Figure 3, and the apex of same is attached to the handle-ii ust above the point where the inclined bars .O-rbrace's'dmre joined to the handle, While such a parachute is not v I absolutely essential to the successful operation of my apparatus, I prefer to equip the apparatus with a parachute or equivalent device at the'lower end of saidhandle comes into'en gagement with the surface against whiclrthe apparatus is thrust. n

Having thuscdescribed my inventiom what' 1,781,5ce j if 21 j posed of a staff or handle, and a buoyant device arranged at the lower end of said handle. .7

2. A sport"jumping'apparatus adapted to be used as a thrust device by the'passenger of be used as a thrust device by thepassenger of I a balloontoassist the balloon to rise, comj aballoon'to assist the balloon to rise, comlike structure at the lowerend of said handle,

and a buoyant deviceconfined insaid cage land for enabling aperson, suspendedifrom-y be used as a thrust device by the passenger of a balleonito -assist the balloon to rise, 'coniposed of a stafi or handle, a contact devicev "3. A sport;ijumpingiapparatus adapted to having a bearingsiirface "o'frelatively great area combined with the lower end'of said 1 posed of a stat]? or handf1e;a cage}ior skeletonr handle, anda'buoya ntelement combinedwith .i i

said contactdevice. V p v 4-. A sport jumping apparatus adapted to be used as a thrust device by thepassenger of a balloon to assist ltheballoonlto. rise, composed of a staff or handle provided atits-lower end with a Contact devicehaving a bearing surface of relatlvely great area, and a parachute combined with said. handle toresist downward movement of same.

c 5. Asport jumping apparatus adapted "to be used as ,a thrust device by the passenger. of I a balloon toassist the vballoon to rise,vcom posed of a staff or handle, a contact device at the lower, end of said handle, a buoyant element combined with s aidcontact de'vice,-and a parachute for resisting downward movement of the handle. q'

6. A sportjumpingapparatusadaptedto} it be used as a thrust devicefby the passenger of I ablallQOn to assist therballoon to rise,.cQI n posed of a: staif or handle, a horizontallydi g posed disk shapedelement at the. lower end of said handle providedwith prongs, upward- .105

ly converging braces that oin saidelement to i the handle, and a buoyant element confined V in the cage formedby said'braceSQ 7. Asport jumpinglapparatus adapted be used as athrusttdeviceby' the passenger'of aballoon to assistthe balloon to rise, composed ofia staff or'han'dle, ahoriZontally-disposedvdisk shapedfelemem at the lowerend of said handle {provided prongs, up-

wardly-converging'bra ces that join said elementlto the handle, a buoyant element confined in the cage form'edby said braces, and

lie

a cone-shaped parachute whoseiapex is ati tached tosaid handle ata'point above the upper ends of said converging braces E RE M D Q 

